SRJC 2013-2014 Game Reports

Date

Scores & Record

Report

3/8

NORCAL PLAYOFFS ROUND IV

No. 3 SRJC 45 vs. No. 2 Fresno City 60

Conference Record: 11-2

Overall Record:20-10

The #3 seeded Bear Cubs traveled to #2 seeded Fresno City College for the final round of the NorCal playoffs, with the winner advancing to the State Tournament at Cerritos College. The Bear Cubs missed their first three shots, but scored the first four points of the game. Erin Skinner's 3-pointer at the 15:50 mark put the Bear Cubs on top 7-2. Then the Rams started scoring and using their height advantage to grab offensive rebounds. The Bear Cubs missed their next nine shots, and by the time Gretchen Harrigan finally sank one with 7:50 on the clock, they were behind 9-21. Harrigan put in their final field goal with 6:10 remaining, and she made 5 out of 6 free throws the remainder of the half, making the score at the half 16-31. The Bear Cubs started the second half with tighter defense and effective boxing out of Fresno's offensive rebounders, but their cold shooting continued as they missed their fist eight shots. Madison Sowards hit one of two free throws with 16:47 on the clock, and Gretchen Harrigan broke the cold spell with a 3-point play a minute later, making the score 20-35. By the midway point of the half Fresno had built up a 47-26 advantage. The Bear Cubs were determined to keep battling and started scoring on drives through traffic. Madison Sowards' 3-pointer at the 3:57 mark made the score 35-57. The Bear Cubs sank four out of their final five shots to close the final gap to 45-60. The loss ends the Bear Cubs' season one game short of going to the State Tournament. The Bear Cubs' defense held the Rams to 22 points below their season average of 82 points per game. The Rams grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in the first half, scoring on 7 of those second chance opportunities, but only came up with one in the second half. The Bear Cubs' poor shooting in the first 24 minutes of the game (5 out of 37 for 14%) got them into too deep a hole to dig themselves out of against a tough team. They made 10 out of their final 19 shots, but it was only enough to match the Rams for the half. Gretchen Harrigan, who led the Big 8 in scoring (25.1 ppg) and field goal percentage (54.2), had her fourteenth double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, but only made 6 out of 23 shots (26%) and 8 out of 11 free throws. Madison Sowards, who finished with 12 points, made one 3-pointer to give her 56 on the season and tie the school's single-season record. Stephanie Sack added 8 points, Erin Skinner 3, and Alicia Mehtlan 2. The Bear Cubs only passed for 4 assists and Stephanie Sack accounted for 2 of them.

3/5

NORCAL PLAYOFFS ROUND III

No. 3 SRJC 75 vs. No. 11 Diablo Valley 64

Conference Record: 11-2

Overall Record:20-9

In their third round NorCal Playoff game, the Bear Cubs (20-10), ranked #3 in the North, played host to a familiar Big 8 foe, the #11 ranked Diablo Valley College Vikings (20-10). The Vikings won the tipoff and scored fifteen seconds into the game. Madison Sowards sank two free throws to tie the game fifty seconds later. The Vikings jumped out to a 10-4 lead at the 16:56 mark. Coach Campbell called a timeout, and the Bear Cubs responded by scoring 9 unanswered points during the next three minutes to go on top 13-10. Madison Sowards' 3-pointer with 10:48 on the clock gave her team an 18-15 lead. Both teams played tough defense and the Vikings moved ahead 26-25 with 49 seconds remaining. The Bear Cubs pushed the ball and Alicia Mehtlan scored two field goals to give her team a 29-26 lead going into halftime. Madison Sowards started the scoring in the second half with a 3-pointer, and she sank another one two possessions later to put the Bear Cubs up 36-28. After Erin Skinner sank two free throws at the 15:09 mark their lead was up to 46-37. The Vikings hit four free throws to help cut their deficit to 45-50 at the 12:35 mark. Free throws by Erin Skinner and Gretchen Harrigan enabled the Bear Cubs to keep pace with the Vikings, and then Harrigan sank three tough shots to extend their lead to 64-55 with 5:45 left on the clock. Two free throws by Stephanie Sack and five by Harrigan and field goals by Erin Skinner and Harrigan completed the scoring for the Bear Cubs as they went on to win 75-64. The Vikings are a quick team that pushed the ball up court every time, resulting in scoring drives or trips to the free throw line. They ended up making 17 out of 26 free throws (65%) while the Bear Cubs made 19 out of 27 (70%). But the Bear Cub guards held the Vikings' leading scorer to 12 points instead of her 20+ average. Gretchen Harrigan posted her thirteenth double-double with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Madison Sowards finished with three 3-pointers on her way to 17 points. Stephanie Sack nearly had a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. Erin Skinner contributed 8 points and 9 rebounds, while Alicia Mehtlan scored 7 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. The Bear Cubs travel to #2 seeded Fresno City College for a Saturday game with the winner advancing to the State Tournament at Cerritos College in Southern California.

2/28

NORCAL PLAYOFFS ROUND II

No. 3 SRJC 60 vs. No. 14 DeAnza 52

Conference Record: 11-2

Overall Record:20-9

In the second round of the NorCal Playoffs, the Bear Cubs (19-10), ranked #3 in the North hosted the #14 ranked De Anza College Dons (20-8), the champions of the South Division of the Coast Conference. The Dons scored first and continued to build their lead as the Bear Cubs only made one out of their first 19 shots. When Erin Skinner sank the Bear Cubs' second basket of the game at the 11:15 mark, it made the score 6-15. With two minutes left in the half the Bear Cubs were behind 14-30. Then the Bear Cubs made 5 out of 8 free throws and a field goal to cut their deficit to 21-32 going into halftime. The Dons scored the first five points of the second half, then Gretchen Harrigan converted a 3-point play and Stephanie Sack sank a 3-pointer. Following two missed shots, the Bear Cubs proceeded to make eight shots in a row, including one 3-pointer by Harrigan and two 3-pointers by Sack to finally take the lead, 46-44, with 10:56 on the clock. Another field goal by Sack and three more by Harrigan gave the Bear Cubs a 54-46 advantage with 6:19 remaining. The Dons scored their final field goal at the 4:52 mark to give them 48 points. During the remainder of the game both teams put in four free throws and Erin Skinner hit the Bear Cubs' final field goal with one minute left, resulting in a 60-52 victory for the home team. The Bear Cubs had a rough shooting first half, making only 20% of their shots (6 out of 30), while the Dons made 12 out of 29 shots (41%). In the second half the Bear Cubs found their shooting touch, sinking 14 out of 24 shots (58%). The Bear Cubs picked up their defensive pressure in the second half, coming up with eight steals, and only allowed the Dons to make 7 out of 24 shots (24%). Gretchen Harrigan had a double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Stephanie Sack made 4 out of 6 3-point shots and finished with 16 points. Alicia Mehtlan contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds. Erin Skinner added 5 points and Madison Sowards 3. Stephanie Sack and Gretchen Harrigan each passed for 4 assists.

2/21

SRJC 61 vs. Consumnes River 49

Conference Record: 11-2

Overall Record: 19-9

For Sophomore Night the Bear Cubs (18-10, 10-3) hosted the fourth place Cosumnes River College Hawks (17-10, 8-5). In a pre-game ceremony, the three Bear Cubs sophomores, Madison Sowards, Erin Skinner, and Stephanie Sack, were honored for their achievements and contributions to the program. Madison Sowards, who came into the game tied for sixth all time in 3-pointers made in a single season, started the game by swishing a shot from beyond the arc. The Bear Cubs missed their next three shots, then Gretchen Harrigan converted a 3-point play and made three more baskets in a row to give them a 12-7 lead at the 15:10 mark. The home team missed six shots before Erin Skinner finally scored with 11:39 on the clock to make the score 14-9. Gretchen Harrigan sank her next five shots, ending with a 3-pointer with 5:38 remaining to lengthen their lead to 25-16. Ninety-four seconds later, Sarah Arteseros caught an offensive rebound and put it through the hoop without coming down to the ground. The Bear Cubs finished the half by making three 3-pointers--one by Madison Sowards and two by Stephanie Sack--and two free throws by Sowards to jump out to a 38-20 lead going into halftime. The Hawks scored the first four points of the second half before Alicia Mehtlan hit a shot with 17:07 on the clock. The Hawks scored six more unanswered points until Gretchen Harrigan made a basket at the 13:32 mark. The Bear Cubs went nearly four minutes without scoring, allowing the Hawks to get within 10 points. Erin Skinner got the Bear Cubs' scoring started, followed by two baskets from Gretchen Harrigan, and one each by Alicia Mehtlan and Madison Sowards, to get the margin up to 52-36 with 7:04 remaining. The Hawks countered with a 7-0 run, until Madison Sowards banked in a 3-pointer with 3:46 on the clock, making the score 55-43. Both teams made three more field goals each to bring the final score to 61-49. Gretchen Harrigan made 14 out of 18 shots and one free throw to finish with 30 points in addition to 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Madison Sowards, whose three 3-pointers moves her up into a tie for fourth in the record book, ended up with 13 points. Alicia Mehtlan contributed 6 points and 8 rebounds. Stephanie Sack scored 6 points, and led the team with 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Erin Skinner added 4 points and Sarah Arteseros 2. San Joaquin Delta (12-2) defeated American River College tonight to claim the Big 8 championship. The win by Bear Cubs (11-3) puts them in second place alone with Sierra College (10-4) in third. Diablo Valley College and Cosumnes River College tied for fourth with records of 8-6.

2/18

SRJC 64 vs. Diablo Valley 65

Conference Record: 10-3

Overall Record: 18-10

The Bear Cubs (18-9, 10-2) hosted the high scoring Diablo Valley College Vikings (17-10, 6-6), who had beaten Sierra College 87-80 three days prior to Sierra's 70-65 win over the Bear Cubs. The Vikings scored first on their first possession. Alicia Mehtlan hit a 3-pointer on the Bear Cubs' second possession, then made three more field goals to put her team ahead 11-6 after a little over five minutes of play. The Bear Cubs proceeded to increase their lead and Mehtlan's fifth and sixth baskets of the half made the score 29-16 with 5:36 left in the half. Gretchen Harrigan's second field goal on their next possession gave her team a 15-point margin. During the final five minutes of the half, the Vikings started making shots and forcing the Bear Cubs to turn the ball over. The Bear Cubs only made two out of their final eight shots and had their lead cut to 37-28 going into halftime. The Vikings started the second half by converting a 3-point play, which sent Alicia Mehtlan to the bench with her third foul. Erin Skinner made two out of four free throws before Madison Sowards sank a 3-pointer to boost the lead to 42-33 after just over two minutes into the half. The Bear Cubs only made four out of their next thirteen shots as both Alicia Mehtlan and Gretchen Harrigan were on the bench with four fouls, allowing the Vikings to jump out in front 56-53 at the 7:57 mark. Erin Skinner scored forty-four seconds later and Gretchen Harrigan finally hit a tough shot with 5:28 remaining to put the Bear Cubs ahead 57-56. Alicia Mehtlan scored on their next two offensive trips to make the lead 61-58 with 4:22 left. The Bear Cubs failed to score on their subsequent four trips to their half of the court and fell behind 65-61 with 2:12 on the clock. Madison Sowards sank a 3-pointer twenty-one seconds later. But that would be their final made basket as they missed on their final four attempts to take the lead. The Bear Cubs didn't allow their opponents to score again, but the Vikings maintained their advantage to win 65-64. Alicia Mehtlan, who scored 13 points in the first half, saw limited playing time in the second half and finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Madison Sowards, returning to the floor after being sidelined with a concussion, also scored 17 points. Erin Skinner contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds. The Vikings played a physical box-and-one defense holding Gretchen Harrigan to only 10 shot attempts and 11 points. Brittney Rachuy added 5 points and Sarah Arteseros 2. Stephanie Sack didn't score, only attempting two shots, but passed for 9 assists and grabbed 7 rebounds. The loss drops the Bear Cubs (10-3) into second place behind San Joaquin Delta College (11-2) in the Big 8.

2/13

SRJC 70 vs. American River 55

Conference Record: 10-2

Overall Record: 18-9

Due to the Presidents' Days holidays, the Bear Cubs (17-9, 9-2) played their final Big 8 away game on Thursday at American River College. The Beavers (10-13, 4-7) scored the first five points of the game before Gretchen Harrigan made one of two free throws at the 17:37 mark. At the midway point of the half the Bear Cubs held a slim 14-13 lead. Sarah Arteseros sank a 3-pointer and Gretchen Harrigan hit a tough shot to widen the gap to 19-13 with 8:46 on the clock. But the Beavers came back to get within one point, 22-23, with just under six minutes in the half. The Bear Cubs outscored their opponents 7-2 during the remainder of the half to take a 30-24 lead into halftime. Ali Romano scored five points in the first 3:05 of the second to help increase the Bear Cubs' advantage to 37-28. Two free throws by Amber Hart, a 3-pointer by Alicia Mehtlan and a field goal by Harrigan gave their team its largest lead, 44-29, at the 15:26 mark. Following an American River timeout, the Beavers mounted a comeback and cut their deficit to a single point, 48-49, with 6:36 on the clock. Erin Skinner answered with a 3-point play. The Beavers then sank two free throws, but Brittney Rachuy matched them. A field goal by the Beavers with 4:55 remaining trimmed the Bear Cubs' lead to 54-52. During the next 53 seconds, Stephanie Sack made all four of the two 1+1 free throw opportunities. Gretchen Harrigan hit a field goal at the 3:15 mark and then a 3-pointer two minutes later, making the score 63-52. The Beavers were forced to foul and the Bear Cubs made 7 out of 9 free throws to close out their 70-55 win. The Bear Cubs, who came into the game shooting 64% from the free throw line, made 15 out of 18 free throws (83%) in the final 6:21 of the game to ensure the win. For the first time this season everyone scored for the Bear Cubs (except Madison Sowards, who didn't play). Gretchen Harrigan led the scoring with 22 points. Erin Skinner made 6 out of 10 shots and finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Stephanie Sack, who made all 6 of her free throws, ended up with 8 points, a team-high 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Alicia Mehtlan contributed 7 points and 7 rebounds. Ali Romano and Brittney Rachuy added 5 points each, Sarah Arteseros 4, Amber Hart 3, and Lorena Garduno 2.

2/11

SRJC 59 vs. Sac City 40

Conference Record: 9-2

Overall Record: 17-9

The Bear Cubs Men's and Women's teams hosted Sacramento City College during their Coaches vs. Cancer night to raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society. The women played first and Brittney Rachuy, starting in place of Madison Sowards who was out with a concussion, made the team's first two shots which sandwiched a Sac City 3-pointer. Erin Skinner made two free throws and Gretchen Harrigan made her team's third shot for an 8-3 lead after less than three minutes of play. The Bear Cubs then missed their next five shots, allowing the Panthers to go out in front 10-8. Beginning at the 13:59 mark Gretchen Harrigan and Ali Romano each sank a 3-pointer, then Harrigan made two field goals in a row to put the Bear Cubs up 19-10 with 12:32 on the clock. The Panthers pulled to within four points, 15-19, before Ali Romano sank her second 3-pointer at the 7:56 mark. The Bear Cubs made only one out of their final 10 shots of the half but hit 8 out of 9 free throws to take a 32-17 lead at the half. The Bear Cubs scored the first eight points of the second half before the Panthers sank a 3-pointer with 14:23 on the clock. Then the Panthers started hitting shots and cut their deficit to 28-44 with twelve minutes to play. But the Bear Cubs wouldn't let them get any closer, as they outscored the Panthers 15-12 during the remainder of the game to complete the 59-40 win. Gretchen Harrigan registered her eleventh double-double with a team-leading 25 points and 10 rebounds. Stephanie Sack contributed 9 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 assists. Brittney Rachuy added 7 points, Ali Romano 6, Erin Skinner and Sarah Arteseros 4 each, and Alicia Mehtlan and Amber Hart 2 each. The win keeps the Bear Cubs tied with San Joaquin Delta in the Big 8, who beat Diablo Valley College 60-54 tonight

2/7

SRJC 65 vs. Sierra 70

Conference Record: 8-2

Overall Record: 16-9

The Bear Cubs (16-8, 8-1) took a long, slow trip in traffic to Rocklin to play the Sierra College Wolverines (17-7, 6-3). The home team scored first by hitting a 3-pointer. A minute later Gretchen Harrigan got the Bear Cubs on the scoreboard with a 12-footer. Erin Skinner's 3-pointer on their next possession tied the score at 5. When Madison Sowards made her second 3-pointer, it gave the Bear Cubs a 27-22 lead with 8:11 on the clock. Stephanie Sack went to the bench with her third foul at the 6:58 mark and Gretchen Harrigan picked up her third with 2:24 left. The Wolverines took advantage and made the go-ahead basket with 19 seconds left in the half to take a 39-38 lead into halftime. With Erin Skinner on the bench with three fouls to start the second half, the Wolverines made the most of their height advantage inside. Alicia Mehtlan hit a 3-pointer, two free throws, and a field goal to give the Bear Cubs a 46-43 lead at the 17:33 mark. A minute later Gretchen Harrigan was called for her fourth foul with 16:28 to play and the score 48-45. The Wolverines took the lead, but 3-pointers by Erin Skinner and Alicia Mehtlan pulled the Bear Cubs to 56-57 at the midway point of the half. Gretchen Harrigan returned to the game a minute later, but picked up her fifth foul with over eight minutes left in the game. The Wolverines jumped out to a 65-56 lead before Erin Skinner finally scored for the Bear Cubs with 6:06 remaining. The Wolverines made their final field goal with 4:38 left, to build up a 69-62 margin. Madison Sowards' third 3-pointer of the game came at the 2:20 mark, making the score 65-69. The Bear Cubs missed their final two shots to fall to the Wolverines 65-70. Foul problems severely handicapped the Bear Cubs and prevented them from mounting their normal offensive attack. The loss drops the Bear Cubs into a tie with San Joaquin Delta for first place in the Big 8. Last Friday, Delta came from behind to defeat Sierra in overtime. Four Bear Cubs scored in double figures with Madison Sowards leading the way with 17. Gretchen Harrigan, who only played 21 minutes, scored 15 points. Alicia Mehtlan had her second double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Center Erin Skinner sank her first two 3-pointers of the season and finished with 12 points. Brittney Rachuy contributed 4 points, Ali Romano converted a 3-point play, and Sarah Arteseros banked in a single field goal. Stephanie Sack finished with 7 rebounds and 6 assists

2/4

SRJC 50 vs. Delta 71

Conference Record: 8-1

Overall Record: 16-8

The Bear Cubs' 8-game winning streak came to an abrupt end in Stockton at the hands of the Mustangs of San Joaquin Delta College. Both teams made their first shot of the game. Then the Bear Cubs missed their next six shots, finally scoring three minutes later, making the score 4-5. Again the Bear Cubs went cold, missing their next ten shots before Stephanie Sack scored on a drive at the 9-minute mark to make the score 7-18. The Bear Cubs continued to struggle offensively and were a step slow defensively, to fall behind 15-30 going into halftime. The Bear Cubs started the second half by making their first four shots, but they couldn't prevent the Mustangs from scoring. Gretchen Harrigan's 3-pointer with 5:52 on the clock got her team to 43-54. Following a Mustangs' timeout, the Bear Cubs struggled to score but their opponents started hitting shots and free throws. The Mustangs extended their lead to finish with a dominating 71-50 victory. The Bear Cubs had their worst shooting half during the first 20 minutes of the game, making only 5 out of 30 shots (17%). They were more successful in the second half, sinking 11 out of 24 shots (46%). The Mustangs, who average 70.1 points per game, made 10 out of 22 shots (45%) in the first half and 13 out of 30 (43%) in the second. The Bear Cubs (16-8, 8-1) now hold a one game lead over the Mustangs (19-5, 7-2) in the Big 8. Gretchen Harrigan led all scorers with 26 points. Madison Sowards added 9 points, Erin Skinner and Stephanie Sack 7 each, and Alicia Mehtlan 1. Madison Sowards was the top rebounder with 8, while Stephanie Sack and Alicia Mehtlan each grabbed 7. Sack passed for 5 assists.

1/31

SRJC 65 vs. Modesto 44

Conference Record: 8-0

Overall Record: 16-7

The Bear Cubs (15-7, 7-0) hosted Pirates of Modesto Junior College (6-12, 0-7) in the first game of the second round of Big 8 play. The Bear Cubs scored the first 14 points of the game before the Pirates finally got on the scoreboard with just under 11 minutes in the half. When Amber Hart banked a shot in at the 8:39 mark, it gave the Bear Cubs a 21-2 advantage. The Pirates scored six more points before the Bear Cubs made their next field goal with 1:01 on the clock. The Pirates made the final points of the half thirty seconds later to go into halftime behind 10-27. The Pirates started the second half by making six out of their first seven shots to cut their deficit to 22-34 at the 16:29 mark. Following a Bear Cubs' timeout Gretchen Harrigan converted a 3-pointer play, Erin Skinner hit a shot, and Madison Sowards scored her fourth and fifth baskets of the half to push their lead up to 44-22 with six minutes to play. The two teams played evenly the remainder of the game. Brittney Rachuy and Ali Romano both hit two 3-pointers, and Erin Skinner hit two field goals to help their team to a 65-44 victory. Madison Sowards shot well (7 out of 13 and 2 out of 2 free throws) to lead the team in scoring with 19 points. Gretchen Harrigan, who was guarded by a box-and-one defense which limited her shot attempts, scored 11 points. Erin Skinner added 8 points, Stephanie Sack 7, Brittney Rachuy and Ali Romano 6 each, Amber Hart 5, Sarah Arteseros 2, and Alicia Mehtlan 1. Five players each grabbed a team-high 4 rebounds. Stephanie Sack led with 6 assists. Alicia Mehtlan made 5 steals and passed for 4 assists.

1/28

SRJC 78 vs. Cosumnes River 63

Conference Record: 7-0

Overall Record: 15-7

For their final first round Big 8 contest, the Bear Cubs (14-7, 6-0) traveled to Sacramento to take on the Cosumnes River College Hawks (12-8, 3-3). The Bear Cubs scored first and took a 10-6 lead after seven and half minutes of play. The Hawks tied the game at 10 seventy seconds later. Three 3-pointers, one each by Stephanie Sack, Madison Sowards, and Alicia Mehtlan, put the Bear Cubs in front 24-17 at the 5:42 mark. The Bear Cubs scored their final points of the half with three minutes to go, putting them ahead 33-19. The Hawks rallied with a free throw and two 3-pointers to close their halftime gap to 26-33. The Bear Cubs scored the first four points of the second half, but the Hawks answered with a field goal and a 3-pointer. Three field goals by Gretchen Harrigan, two by Brittney Rachuy, and one by Stephanie Sack pushed the Bear Cubs' lead to 53-40 at the midway point of the half. With 4:30 left in the game, the Hawks cut their deficit to 54-61. Gretchen Harrigan converted a 3-point play 16 seconds later, and Madison Sowards sank her second 3-pointer to put the Bear Cubs up 67-54 with 3:42 remaining. When the Hawks made two free throws with 1:54 left it made the score 60-69. The Bear Cubs' defense only allowed three more points, while offensively Gretchen Harrigan hit a field goal, Stephanie Sack made 5 out of 6 free throws, and Brittney Rachuy sank the final two free throws to finish off the 78-63 win. Gretchen Harrigan had her tenth double-double with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Stephanie Sack played one of her best games, just missing a triple-double with a career-high 21 points plus 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Madison Sowards scored in double figures for the twelfth time with 12 points. Brittney Rachuy added 8 points, Alicia Mehtlan 3, and Erin Skinner 2. Stephanie Sack also led in steals with 4.

1/24

SRJC 94 vs. Diablo Valley 87

Conference Record: 6-0

Overall Record: 14-7

Friday the Bear Cubs (13-7, 5-0) took their shortest Big 8 road trip to Concord to play the Diablo Valley College Vikings (13-7, 2-3). The Bear Cubs opened with a 12-2 margin after three minutes and forty-five seconds of play. Gretchen Harrigan's 3-pointer at the 10:02 mark made the lead 25-6. Two minutes later the Vikings started hitting shots. They scored 14 points in the last 4 minutes of the half to cut the Bear Cubs' lead to 41-36 going into halftime. The second half was a tense battle as both teams continued to make shots. A Viking 3-pointer with 12:16 on the clock pulled them to within one point, 61-62. When Gretchen Harrigan made one of two free throws at the 7:18 mark, it increased the Bear Cubs' lead to 80-71. A Vikings' field goal with 1:35 remaining cut their deficit to 85-88. Then Alicia Mehtlan hit her second 3-pointer of the half to give the Bear Cubs a 6-point margin. The Bear Cubs' defense stopped the Vikings and Erin Skinner scored with 21 seconds left. The Bear Cubs' defense again prevented the Vikings from scoring and Harrigan rebounded the miss. She passed to Stephanie Sack, who was fouled with 11 seconds in the game. Sack missed the first free throw but made the second. The Vikings scored their final 2 points on a field goal with just 5 seconds on the clock. The Bear Cubs inbounded and ran out the clock for an exciting 94-87 victory. Both teams made 55% of their shots in the second half. The Vikings made 17 out of 31, including seven 3-pointers. The Bear Cubs made 18 out of 33, but only three 3-pointers. Gretchen Harrigan set a school scoring record with 51 points on 19 out of 26 shots (73%) and 12 out of 16 free throws (75%). Madison Sowards sank two 3-pointers and finished with 21 points. Alicia Mehtlan had her first double-double with 11 points, including 3 out of 3 from beyond the 3-point line, and a team-high 14 rebounds. Erin Skinner and Brittney Rachuy each added 4 points, and Stephanie Sack 3. Stephanie Sack also had a double-double with 10 rebounds and a school-record 15 assists.

1/21

SRJC 64 vs. American River 53

Conference Record: 5-0

Overall Record: 13-7

The Bear Cubs (12-7, 4-0) hosted the second place Beavers of American River College (9-7, 3-1). The Beavers scored the first fourteen points of the game as the Bear Cubs missed their first eight shots before Stephanie Sack finally got them on the scoreboard with a 3-pointer at the 12:56 mark. The Beavers increased their lead to 16-3 before Erin Skinner made one of two free throws with 11:02 on the clock. Gretchen Harrigan, who picked up two fouls after just 42 seconds of play and went to the bench, re-entered the game at the 9:57 mark and sank two free throws fourteen seconds later. The Bear Cubs switched to a half-court trapping defense and forced the Beavers to turn the ball over. They didn't score another field goal until there was 3:26 left in the half. Meanwhile the Bear Cubs hit five out of seven shots, the fifth one a layup by Stephanie Sack following a steal, to give her team the lead for the first time 20-18 at the 4-minute mark. The Bear Cubs scored nine more points to the Beavers' seven to go into halftime with a 29-25 lead. The Beavers scored first in the second half, but the Bear Cubs built a 39-33 margin with 14:52 on the clock. But the Beavers hit a 3-pointer 48 seconds later. Then the Bear Cubs went on an 11-1 run to jump out in front 50-37 with just under 9 minutes to play. An American River field goal with 2:17 remaining cut their deficit to 51-60. But the Bear Cubs only allowed them to score two more points while adding four of their own, to register a 64-53 victory. Gretchen Harrigan, who only played 20 minutes due to foul trouble, led all scorers with 21 points. Erin Skinner had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, 7 of them offensive. Stephanie Sack and Madison Sowards both also scored in double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Sarah Arteseros and Alicia Mehtlan each added 2 points. Madison Sowards was second in rebounding with 8. Stephanie Sack led in assists with 5 and in steals with 4.

1/17

SRJC 62 vs. Sac City 59

Conference Record: 4-0

Overall Record: 12-7

The Bear Cubs (11-7, 3-0) traveled to face the Sacramento City College Panthers (8-8, 1-2) for a 7:30 pm game. The Panthers scored on their first two possessions before Alicia Mehtlan scored for the Bear Cubs at the 18:34 mark. When Gretchen Harrigan made her third field goal with 13:30 on the clock, it put the Bear Cubs ahead 15-9. The Panthers tied the game at 17 at the midway point of the half. Alicia Mehtlan's field goal at 8:06 tied the game at 19. The Bear Cubs missed all ten of their final shots, scoring only 3 free throws to fall behind 22-30 going into halftime. The Panthers scored first in the second half. After missing their first two shots, the Bear Cubs made 5 out of 6 shots, including two 3-pointers by Alicia Mehtlan, to pull to within one point, 34-35, after three minutes and forty seconds into the half. Then the Bear Cubs went cold, making only 3 out of 15 shots to fall behind 46-52 at the 6:25 mark. With 4:02 left in the game the Panthers sank their final field goal to build a 58-50 lead. The Bear Cubs started to work more efficiently offensively and defensively. They made 4 baskets in a row, including a 3-pointer by Stephanie Sack, to give the Bear Cubs a 60-58 led with 1:52 remaining. A Sac City player went to the free throw line to shoot 1+1 with 1:09 left. She made the first and the Bear Cubs rebounded her missed second shot. Erin Skinner was fouled with 51 seconds to play. The Panthers had committed more than 10 team fouls, so Erin went to the free throw line to shoot two. She missed the first, but made the second for a 61-59 margin. The Panthers brought the ball into the front court and called a timeout with 46 seconds on the clock. After the timeout, they worked for a shot, but had to call their last timeout with 33 seconds left, 12 on the shot clock. After play resumed the Panthers tried to get a shot off, but the Bear Cubs' defense prevented a good shot and Gretchen Harrigan grabbed the rebound. She passed to Stephanie Sack, who was fouled with 7 seconds to play. Sack missed the first free throw, but made the second, for a 62-59 advantage. The Bear Cubs called their final timeout to talk about how to apply full court pressure. The Panthers inbounded the ball but could only get off a one-handed, 55-foot throw at the basket which bounced off the backboard but not into the basket, sealing the Bear Cubs' come-from-behind victory, 62-59. The Panthers made 43% (23 out of 54) of their shots from the field, but only 10 out of 20 from the free throw line. The Bear Cubs, after making only 7 out of 25 shots (25%) in the first half, made 13 out of 33 (39%) in the second half. They made 17 out of 28 free throws (61%). Alicia Mehtlan, who had been averaging 5.5 points per game, scored a career-high 26 points by making 8 out of 15 shots, including 3 out of 4 3-pointers, and 7 out of 8 free throws. Gretchen Harrigan recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Madison Sowards added 9 points, Stephanie Sack 4, and Erin Skinner 2. Stephanie Sack passed for 9 assists.

1/14

SRJC 65 vs. Sierra 46

Conference Record: 3-0

Overall Record: 11-7

In their second Big 8 home game in a row the Bear Cubs (10-7, 2-0) hosted the #2 team in the North, the Wolverines (13-4, 2-0) of Sierra College. Both teams played tough defense from the start, forcing turnovers. Madison Sowards scored the first points of the game at the 17:41 mark when she drove full court, scored a layup and was fouled. She made the free throw. Two field goals each by Gretchen Harrigan and Erin Skinner gave the Bear Cubs an 11-0 lead with 13:46 on the clock. The Wolverines finally got on the scoreboard nine seconds later, but Stephanie Sack answered with a 3-pointer. A 3-pointer by Madison Sowards and another by Stephanie Sack increased their lead to 25-10 with just under 4 minutes in the half. Sack scored on a full court drive with a defender on her shoulder the entire way for the Bear Cubs' final points of the half with two minutes on the clock. The Wolverines made two out of four free throws to make the Bear Cubs' advantage 27-12 going into intermission. Gretchen Harrigan scored on the Bear Cubs' first possession of the half. After five missed attempts, the Bear Cubs converted five of their next nine shots, all five by Harrigan, to increase their lead to 39-21 after seven minutes of play. The Bear Cubs outscored their opponents 16-8 during the next seven minutes to jump out in front 55-31. Following a 3-pointer and two free throws by the Wolverines, Erin Skinner sank two free throws and Stephanie Sack converted a 4-point play after being fouled on her 3-pointer. Four free throws by the Bear Cubs completed their scoring. The Wolverines made two field goals and two 3-pointers in the final six minutes of the game plus three free throws, to end the game with the Bear Cubs on top 65-46. Team defense was the key to the win for the Bear Cubs. The Wolverines came into the game averaging 66.4 points per game and making 36.9% of their shots. The Bear Cubs' defense frustrated the Wolverines and forced them into making only 25% (16 out of 64) of their shots. The Bear Cub shooters struggled in the first half (11 out of 32 for 34%), but made 14 out of 30 shots (47%) in the second half. Gretchen Harrigan, who converted eight field goals in the second half, led the team with 23 points. Stephanie Sack made all four of her 3-point shots and scored a career-high 18 points. Madison Sowards and Erin Skinner each scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Brittney Rachuy added 2 points and Ali Romano 1. Stephanie Sack was the top rebounder with 8. Gretchen Harrigan and Erin Skinner each grabbed 7. Sack led in steals with 5.

1/10

SRJC 57 vs. Delta 54

Conference Record: 2-0

Overall Record: 10-7

In their first Big 8 home game the Bear Cubs (9-7) hosted the Mustangs of San Joaquin Delta College (12-4), who began the week ranked #2 in the North. The Bear Cubs scored first on their first possession when Gretchen Harrigan sank two free throws. Gretchen made four more free throws in the next two minutes to give the Bear Cubs a 6-3 lead. Madison Sowards sank two 3-pointers in a row, the second at the 14:41 mark to put her team ahead 12-5. The Mustangs' coach immediately called a timeout, and when play resumed her team scored 7 unanswered points to tie the game. Following Madison's 3-pointers the Bear Cubs missed their next 10 shots, then made three in a row to pull to within two points, 21-23, with just under five minutes in the half. Both teams only scored three more points the rest of the half. Brittney Rachuy's two free throws at the 18:57 mark tied the game at 26. The Mustangs responded with six unanswered points before Gretchen Harrigan sank back-to-back field goals followed by Madison Sowards' 3-pointer which put the Bear Cubs ahead 33-32 at the 15:18 mark. The lead went back and forth and was never more than three points until Ali Romano swished two 3-pointers in a row to put the Bear Cubs up 51-44 with 6:56 left on the clock. Following the Mustangs' timeout, they hit a 3-pointer and a field goal to cut their deficit to 49-51 with 4:30 remaining. Gretchen Harrigan, who went to the bench at the 10:55 mark with her fourth foul, re-entered the game and scored. Forty-four seconds later, Stephanie Sack scored, giving her team a 55-49 lead with 3:28 left in the game. The Mustangs had several scoring opportunities, as the Bear Cubs made turnovers and fouled. They made three free throws to get to within three points, 52-55 at the 2:26 mark. After the Bear Cubs missed a shot and the Mustangs brought the ball across half court, Stephanie Sack stole the ball from the Mustangs' point guard and drove down to score the layup despite pressure, putting her team ahead 57-52 with 52 seconds remaining. On their next possession, a Mustang player was fouled and made both of the 1+1 free throws with 40.8 seconds on the clock. The Bear Cubs nearly lost the ball, but retained possession on the jump ball situation with one second on the shot clock. After a timeout, the Bear Cubs got a shot off that missed and the Mustangs rebounded. They pushed the ball up court and got off a 3-pointer that fell short, ensuring the Bear Cubs' 57-54 victory. Gretchen Harrigan, who was double- and sometimes triple-teamed, made 5 of 9 shots and 9 of 13 free throws for 19 points. Madison Sowards, returning to the lineup after being out with a concussion, made five 3-pointers and a field goal for 17 points. Ali Romano and Sarah Arteseros each scored 6 points. Stephanie Sack added 4, Brittney Rachuy and Alicia Mehtlan 2 each, and Erin Skinner 1. Harrigan recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. Stephanie Sack came up with 6 steals and passed for 4 assists. Erin Skinner blocked 5 shots.

1/7

SRJC 56 vs. Modesto 49

Conference Record: 1-0

Overall Record: 9-7

The Bear Cubs (8-7) opened Big 8 Conference play on the road against the Pirates (6-5) of Modesto Junior College. The Bear Cubs got off to a good start, making their first three shots to jump out to a 6-2 lead after a little over two minutes of play. Two 3-pointers by the Pirates helped put them on top 10-6 at the 16:08 mark. A free throw and a 3-point-play by Gretchen Harrigan tied the score at 10 a minute later. Stephanie Sack's field goal on a cut to the basket at the 10:52 mark gave the Bear Cubs a 17-13 lead. Then the Bear Cubs missed all 14 of their final shots in the half and 5 out of 7 free throws to go into halftime behind 19-26. Gretchen Harrigan made the Bear Cubs' first shot of the second half, but the Pirates sank their subsequent shot. The Bear Cubs started closing the gap, and two free throws by Harrigan at the 13:35 mark cut their deficit to 33-34. The Bear Cubs went on a 10-2 run to go in front 43-36 with 6 minutes to play. The Pirates got within 3 points, 42-45, with 3 minutes remaining. Then Harrigan made 3 field goals in 90 seconds to increase the Bear Cubs' lead to 51-42. The Pirates sank a field goal and a 3-pointer to cut that lead down to 53-47 with 42 seconds on the clock. The Pirates were forced to foul and Harrigan and Sack each made two free throws to complete the Bear Cubs' scoring and result in a 56-49 win. After making just 7 out of 29 shots (24%) in the first half, the Bear Cubs improved their shooting percentage in the second half by making 11 out of 24 (46%). Gretchen Harrigan led all scorers with 39 points. Stephanie Sack added 9, Erin Skinner and Brittney Rachuy 3 each, and Ali Romano and Alicia Mehtlan 1 each. Gretchen Harrigan had a double-double with 10 rebounds. Erin Skinner grabbed 9 and Stephanie Sack 8. Stephanie Sack passed for 5 assists. Sack and Harrigan each came up with 4 steals. The Bear Cubs had to play without Madison Sowards, who had suffered a concussion towards the end of the loss to Fresno City College.

12/29

SAN JOSE TOURNAMENT

SRJC 76 vs. Fresno City 81

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 8-7

In the Championship contest of the SJCC Tournament the Bear Cubs (8-6) had to take on the Rams of Fresno City College (12-2), who entered the game ranked #2 in the North. Gretchen Harrigan hit the Bear Cubs' first two shots before the Rams scored with 17:58 on the clock. Ali Romano sank two free throws at the 13:27 mark to give the Bear Cubs their largest lead at 17-8. The Rams went on a 16-0 run before Gretchen Harrigan finally hit a field goal with 8:10 left. Harrigan's basket was the first of her team's sinking 7 out of 9 shots, ending with Ali Romano's 3-pointer at the 2:33 mark, which tied the game at 32. Three Bear Cub free throws gave them a 35-32 advantage until the Rams sank a 3-pointer with 59 seconds in the half. Both teams missed their next shots until Alicia Mehtlan hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Bear Cubs into the locker room with a 38-35 lead.
The Rams started the second half by scoring three straight baskets to go in front 42-40. Ali Romano's 3-pointer at the 12:52 mark put the Bear Cubs back on top 53-52. Two 3-point plays and two 3-pointers by the Rams helped them build up a 66-59 lead with 9:52 remaining. Gretchen Harrigan's 3-point play and two field goals by Sarah Arteseros cut their team's deficit to 66-70 with 6 minutes to play. The Bear Cubs missed their next four shots while their opponents added 5 points to their total with 2:20 left for a 75-66 advantage. The Bear Cubs made their next four shots, ending with Harrigan's 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to cut the gap to 76-78. The Bear Cubs fouled immediately. The Rams' player missed both free throws, and the Bear Cubs grabbed the miss. Stephanie Sack drove through traffic to try to score, but her shot bounced off the rim. Steph fouled the rebounder with 2 seconds on the clock. The officials also called a dead ball technical foul against Gretchen Harrigan, her fifth personal foul. The Rams made 2 out of 4 free throws and got the ball back. They inbounded and the Bear Cubs fouled with 1 second left. The Fresno player made one of two free throws to account for their 81st point. The Rams made 46% (28 out of 61) of their shots and 17 out of 28 free throws. The Bear Cubs shot 52% (32 out of 62) from the field but only shot 12 free throws, making 7 of them.Gretchen Harrigan led all scorers with 37 points. Madison Sowards added 9 points, Erin Skinner and Ali Romano 8 each, Alicia Mehtlan 7, Sarah Arteseros 4, Brittney Rachuy 2, and Stephanie Sack 1. Erin Skinner led in rebounding with 9 and Gretchen Harrigan grabbed 8. Stephanie Sack passed for 10 assists. Harrigan, who averaged 35 points a game for the tournament was selected All Tourney. Point guard Stephanie Sack, who averaged 9 assists a game, was also selected All Tourney.

12/28

SAN JOSE TOURNAMENT

SRJC 58 vs. Delta 56

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 8-6

In their second round matchup at the SJCC Tournament the Bear Cubs (7-6) were tasked with taking on their Big 8 nemesis, the Mustangs (11-2) of San Joaquin Delta College. The Mustangs entered the tournament as the top ranked team in the North. The Mustangs scored after just 11 seconds. The Bear Cubs tied the score at the 18:06 mark. A Mustang 3-pointer gave them a 5-4 lead with 16:50 on the clock. With 6 minutes left in the half, the Bear Cubs had built up an 18-10 lead. Then the Mustangs responded with a field goal, three 3-pointers and a 3-point play to re-take the lead 24-19 with 2:27 remaining. Gretchen Harrigan sank two free throws and two field goals to get the Bear Cubs to within one point at 25-26 with a minute on the clock. The Bear Cubs' defense held and Madison Sowards swished a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left to give her team a 28-26 lead going into halftime. Two minutes into the second half the Mustangs re-took the lead 31-30. With 9 minutes to play the Bear Cubs were back in front 40-39. With 3 minutes left the Mustangs held a 51-50 advantage. Gretchen Harrigan hit a field goal then converted a 3-point play at the 1:16 mark to put the Bear Cubs back ahead 55-51. The Mustangs countered with a 3-pointer 14 seconds later. Then Stephanie Sack drove through traffic to score with 50 seconds remaining to extend the lead to 57-54. The Mustangs hit a field goal with 30.8 seconds on the clock. The Mustangs put on full-court pressure and knowing the Bear Cubs could just run out the clock, fouled Sack in the front court with 15 seconds to play. Steph made the front end of the 1+1 for a 58-56 lead. She missed the second free throw and the Mustangs rebounded. The Bear Cubs had only committed 5 team fouls, so they fouled before the Mustangs could get set for a shot. The Mustangs inbounded the ball and, due to some miscommunications, the Bear Cubs fouled a dribbler with 7 seconds left, sending her to the free throw line to shoot 1+1. She missed the first shot, but the Mustangs rebounded. They got off a 3-pointer, but it fell short, preserving the Bear Cubs' 58-56 victory. The win earns them a spot in the Championship game against Fresno City College. Gretchen Harrigan and Madison Sowards were the leading scorers with 27 and 17 points, respectively. Stephanie Sack and Erin Skinner each scored 5 points. Brittney Rachuy added 3 points and Alicia Mehtlan 1. Sack and Mehtlan were the top rebounders with 10 each, and Harrigan grabbed 8. Sack passed for 7 of the team's 9 assists, and made all 5 of the team's steal--3 crucial ones in the final 4 minutes.

12/27

SAN JOSE TOURNAMENT

SRJC 73 vs. Canyons 65

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 7-6

The Bear Cubs traveled to San Jose City College for their final pre-season tournament, where they were matched up against the Cougars of College of the Canyons. The Cougars scored a field goal on their first possession and followed that up with a 3-pointer 95 seconds later. Gretchen Harrigan’s sixth field goal at the 12:25 mark put the Bear Cubs ahead 12-11. Field goals by Erin Skinner and Alicia Mehtlan, and a 3-pointer by Sarah Arteseros moved the Bear Cubs' lead to 19-11 four minutes later. But the Cougars tied the score at 19 with 6:08 on the clock. With 1:40 left in the half the Cougars held a 29-23 lead. Back-to-back field goals by Madison Sowards and Gretchen Harrigan made the score 27-29 with 38 seconds remaining. The Bear Cubs missed their shot for the tie, and the Cougars quickly passed ahead to score a layup at the buzzer, giving them a 31-27 halftime lead. The Cougars started the scoring in the second half with two free throws and a 3-pointer to extend their lead to 36-27 with only 48 seconds gone. The Bear Cubs made their next 4 shots, including Madison Sowards' 3-pointer to close the gap to 36-39 with 17:21 on the clock. Two free throws by Gretchen Harrigan at the 12:54 mark gave the Bear Cubs a 47-46 advantage. Thirteen more points by Harrigan increased the lead to 62-57 with 5:34 left to play. Madison Sowards sank her third 3-pointer of the half with 3:21 on the clock, making the score 66-59. Sowards' fourth 3-pointer with 18 seconds left put the Bear Cubs ahead 72-63. The Cougars made their final field goal 9 seconds later and Gretchen sank the first of two free throws with just 6 seconds on the clock for the final point of the game. The 73-65 victory advances the Bear Cubs into the winner's bracket where they face fellow Big 8 member, the San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs, who defeated CCSF in the finals of the Caren Franci Tournament at SRJC. Gretchen Harrigan tied the Bear Cubs' single game scoring record with 41 points and her 20 rebounds was 4 short of the school record. Madison Sowards helped spark the Bear Cubs' second half comeback and finished with 19 points. Alicia Mehtlan added 6 points, Sarah Arteseros 3, and Erin Skinner and Amber Hart 2 each. Stephanie Sack was second in rebounding with 9. Sack's 10 assists was two short of the school record of 12.

12/21

SFCC TOURNAMENT

SRJC 47 vs. LA Valley 61

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 6-6

The Bear Cubs (6-5) faced another familiar foe in their second round game of the CCSF Tournament--the Los Angeles Valley College Monarchs (8-4). Neither team could make a field goal for their first few possessions, until the Monarchs sank a field goal at the 17:45 mark. Gretchen Harrigan hit the Bear Cubs' first field goal 75 seconds later. Stephanie Sack's 3-pointer with 12:50 on the clock gave the Bear Cubs a 9-7 lead. The Bear Cubs missed their next 8 shots before Madison Sowards finally hit one with 6:18 left in the half. Unfortunately, the Monarchs scored 13 points during the Bear Cubs' drought. The Monarchs made three more 3-pointers during the remainder of the half. The Bear Cubs were able to make 5 out of their final 9 shots to go into intermission behind 22-33. The Bear Cubs missed their first 5 shots of the second half as did their opponents. Four straight Bear Cubs' field goals, 2 each by Alicia Mehtlan and Gretchen Harrigan, got their team within 6 points at 31-37 with 15:00 on the clock. Gretchen Harrigan's basket at the 14:15 mark made the score 33-40. The Bear Cubs then missed their next 14 shot attempts, not hitting another field goal until Gretchen Harrigan's with only 1:35 left in the game. The Bear Cubs did make 9 out of 12 free throws during this cold spell, so they weren't held scoreless. The Monarchs took advantage of their opponent's shooting woes and added 21 points. The 47-61 loss eliminates the Bear Cubs from the tournament. The Bear Cubs had good looks at a number of makeable shots, but were unable to convert them. They made only 33% of their first half shots (9 out of 27). In the second half, their percentage dropped to 22% (6 out of 27). Gretchen Harrigan led all scorers with 23 points, including 11 out of 13 free throws. Stephanie Sack contributed 7 points and 3 assists. Alicia Mehtlan added 4 points and Sarah Arteseros 3. Five players each scored 2 points: Madison Sowards, Ali Romano, Brittney Rachuy, Amber Hart, and Erin Skinner. Gretchen Harrigan had a double-double with 11 rebounds. Erin Skinner was second in rebounding with 7.

12/20

SFCC TOURNAMENT

SRJC 53 vs. CCSF 66

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 6-5

Six days after losing to the Rams of CCSF in their own tournament, the Bear Cubs opened the Golden Gate Classic against the same Rams. Stephanie Sack sank a 3-pointer after stealing the ball for the first points of the game. Both teams played tough defense and at the midway point of the half, the Bear Cubs held a slim 18-17 lead. By the end of the half, the Rams were in front by a point, 27-26. Gretchen Harrigan made two free throws to start the second half. Then both teams had trouble scoring. The Rams scored two straight baskets beginning at the 16:45 mark. Alicia Mehtlan's 3-pointer followed that for the Bear Cubs' first basket of the half. The Rams then went on a 12-4 run, including three 3-pointers, to build up a 44-35 lead with 10 minutes to play. With 3 minutes on the clock the Rams held a 60-47 lead. Ali Romano hit a 3-pointer at the 2:30 mark and Alicia Mehtlan hit one to make the score 53-60 with 1:15 on the clock. The Bear Cubs missed their final 3 shots, while the Rams finished with a field goal and 4 free throws. The 53-66 loss drops the Bear Cubs into the loser's bracket. The Bear Cubs made only 34% of their shots (20 out of 58), while the Rams made 25 out of 62 (40%) including 9 3-pointers. Gretchen Harrigan led all scorers with 27 points. Alicia Mehtlan contributed 7 points, Stephanie Sack and Madison Sowards 5 each, Erin Skinner 4, Ali Romano 3, and Brittney Rachuy 2. Madison Sowards was the top rebounder with 9. Stephanie Sack led in assists with 6.

12/15

SRJC TOURNAMENT

SRJC 53 vs. Ohlone 41

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 6-4

In the Third Place game of the Caren Franci Invitational Tournament the Bear Cubs (5-4) faced a familiar foe in the Ohlone College Renegades (7-4--the Bear Cubs having lost to them 46-49 in the Consolation Finals of the Merced Tournament. Madison Sowards swished the Bear Cubs' first shot, a 3-pointer. The Renegades tied the game 90 seconds later with their own 3-pointer. Alicia Mehtlan's 3-pointer a minute later put the Bear Cubs ahead 8-6. The Bear Cubs missed their next 8 shots until Gretchen Harrigan hit two in a row to give her team a 14-12 lead with just under 10 minutes in the half. Two 3-pointers by the Renegades gave them a 24-21 margin with 24 seconds to go. Gretchen Harrigan sank two free throws with 6 seconds left to pull the Bear Cubs to 23-24 at the half. The Bear Cubs missed their first four shot attempts of the second half then sank three in a row and 4 free throws to jump ahead to a 34-26 lead at the 15:56 mark, thanks in part to their trapping defense forcing the Renegades to turn the ball over. Stephanie Sack's second 3-pointer of the game with 6:55 on the clock increased the lead to 45-33. A basket by Sarah Arteseros and six points by Gretchen Harrigan helped the Bear Cubs maintain that margin to the end of the game, as they claimed Third Place with the 53-41 victory. The Bear Cubs only made 31% of their shots (17 out of 54), but their defense made it tough for the Renegades to score, as they were only successful on 25% of their shots (13 for 51). Gretchen Harrigan led with 24 points, including 12 out of 12 free throws. Madison Sowards and Stephanie Sack both hit two 3-pointers and finished with 8 and 6 points, respectively. Alicia Mehtlan added 7 points, Ali Romano 4, and Erin Skinner and Sarah Arteseros 2 each. Madison Sowards was the leading rebounder with 9 and Gretchen Harrigan grabbed 8. Stephanie Sack, who played the entire game at point guard, had 7 steals and was selected All Tourney.

12/14

SRJC TOURNAMENT

SRJC 44 vs. San Francisco City 69

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 5-4

In their second round game of their own tournament, the Bear Cubs (5-3) had to face the top-ranked City College of San Francisco Rams (5-0). Both teams struggled to score at the beginning of the game. The Rams held a 10-6 lead until Stephanie Sack hit a 3-pointer with 13:15 on the clock. Six points by Gretchen Harrigan tied the score at 17 with seven minutes in the half. Harrigan was called for an offensive foul, her third personal foul, with 5:26 remaining and was forced to sit out the rest of the half. With just under three minutes on the clock, the Rams held a 24-19 lead. Brittney Rachuy scored the Bear Cubs' final field goal of the half with 2:13 left. The Rams closed out the half with three 3-pointers, while Madison Sowards made four out of four free throws, leaving the Bear Cubs in a 25-33 hole at halftime. The Rams scored the first 6 points of the second half before Alicia Mehtlan finally scored for the Bear Cubs at the 16:13 mark. The Rams' first 3-pointer of the half came with 9:57 on the clock and put them ahead 48-34. The Bear Cubs continued to struggle bringing the ball up the court against the Rams' full-court pressure and could never get comfortable offensively. Meanwhile the Rams ran their own offense with confidence and were successful. During the final 10 minutes of the game the Bear Cubs made only 4 out of 18 shots and two free throws, while the Rams scored 21 points. The 44-69 loss drops the Bear Cubs into the Third Place game against Ohlone College. After having a good shooting game the previous night, against the tougher defense of the Rams the Bear Cubs made only 25% of their shots (14 out of 55), including only one out of 16 3-point attempts. The Rams made 47% of their shots (26 out of 56) and 9 3-pointers. Gretchen Harrigan, who picked up her fourth foul with 17:18 left in the game, only made two field goals but sank all 10 of her free throws for 14 points. Alicia Mehtlan, who picked up two fouls early in the first half, scored 8 points in the second half to finish with 10 points. Madison Sowards made 5 out of 6 free throws and totaled 9 points. Erin Skinner added 6 points, Stephanie Sack 3, and Brittney Rachuy 2. Erin Skinner and Alicia Mehtlan were the leading rebounders with 7 each.

12/13

SRJC TOURNAMENT

SRJC 81 vs. Southwestern Oregon 53

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 5-3

The Bear Cubs played their first home game of the 2013-2014 season as hosts of their own Caren Franci Invitational Tournament. Their first round opponent: the Lakers of Southwestern Oregon Community College. The Bear Cubs scored first and built up a 9-2 lead before the Lakers hit a 3-pointer at the 15:34 mark. Madison Sowards answered with a 3-pointer sixteen seconds later. Sowards' third 3-pointer, which came with just under 10 minutes in the half, gave her team a 20-11 lead. With 4:30 left, the Lakers had cut their deficit to 22-27. The Bear Cubs' defense didn't allow their opponents to score another field goal in the half. Meanwhile their offense sank 5 of their final 6 shots, including a 25-footer by Brittney Rachuy at the buzzer, to jump out to a 40-24 halftime lead. The Bear Cubs scored the first 5 points of the second half and by the 11:42 mark, after making 10 out of 15 shots, held a 64-32 advantage. The Lakers then scored 7 unanswered points before the Bear Cubs got rolling again, making their next 5 shots in a row, ending with Ali Romano's 3-pointer at the 4:56 mark, for a 77-48 lead. Sarah Arteseros, who had missed playing in the COS Tournament due to an injury, scored the final points for the Bear Cubs with 40 seconds left. A 3-pointer by the Lakers 20 seconds later finished the scoring. The Bear Cubs' 81-53 win earns them a second round matchup against the #1 ranked Rams of City College of San Francisco. The Bear Cubs shot extremely well, making 63% of their shots (17 out of 27) in the second half and 53% for the game (31 for 59). They also made 10 out of their 20 3-point attempts. Madison Sowards, who scored a career-high 24 points, made 6 out of 8 of her 3-point shots. Gretchen Harrigan, who set a new career high with 35 points, led all scorers. Stephanie Sack contributed 5 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals. The rest of the scorers were Erin Skinner and Sarah Arteseros with 4 each, and Brittney Rachuy, Lorena Garduno, and Ali Romano with a 3-pointer each. Gretchen Harrigan was the top rebounder with 12 and Erin Skinner grabbed 6.

12/8

COS TOURNAMENT

SRJC 63 vs. Sierra 59

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 4-3

In the Fifth Place game of the COS Tournament the Bear Cubs were matched against a Big 8 rival, the Sierra College Wolverines. The Bear Cubs led 3-2 until a Sierra player converted a 4-point play (3-pointer + free throw) at the 16:00 mark. Stephanie Sack's 3-pointer three minutes later cut their deficit to 6-10. The Wolverines went on a 9-3 run during the next 5 minutes to take a 19-9 lead at the 8:15 mark. The Bear Cubs couldn't sink a field goal but did make 8 free throws before Erin Skinner hit an 8-footer to make the score 16-19 with 5:16 on the clock. A 3-point play and subsequent field goal by Gretchen Harrigan put the score at 21-26 with 3:19 left in the half. The Bear Cubs' defense only allowed the Wolverines to sore 3 more points, while their offense made 4 out of their final 5 shots to tie the game at 29 going into halftime. The Bear Cubs scored the first 8 points of the second half before the Wolverines hit a shot at the 15:40 mark. Then the Wolverines continued to sink shots and took a 50-46 lead with 7 minutes to play. With just under 3 minutes in the game the Wolverines were ahead 59-55. Stephanie Sack drove then stopped and hit a short jumper. Gretchen Harrigan sank a tough shot with 1:52 left to tie the score at 59. The Wolverines' next shot was off the mark and Stephanie Sack grabbed the rebound. Sack got the ball to Gretchen Harrigan, who scored the go-ahead basket with 1:28 on the clock. The Wolverines' shot to tie bounced off the rim and Erin Skinner snatched the rebound. Gretchen Harrigan was fouled on a drive with 55 seconds to play. She missed the first free throw but made the second. Again the Wolverines' shot missed and Erin Skinner pulled down the rebound with 16 seconds left. The Bear Cubs called a timeout and before they could inbound the ball, a Sierra player fouled Skinner. Erin went to the line to shoot two free throws. She missed the first but made the second for a 63-59 lead. The Wolverines shot a 3-pointer, but it missed and Skinner grabbed the rebound with 6 seconds on the clock. The Bear Cubs called their last timeout, and when play resumed they were able to inbound the ball and run out the clock, securing the 63-59 win. In the previous round Sierra came back from a 6-point halftime deficit to defeat Riverside 78-53 to qualify for the Fifth Place game. They played all 12 players against the Bear Cubs, who were only able to dress 8 players as Amber Hart was reinjured late in the previous game and Sarah Arteseros was out with a concussion. Three of the Bear Cubs' starters picked up two fouls in the first half and point guard Stephanie Sack was called for three, so the short bench played an important role the entire game. Gretchen Harrigan, who was selected All-Tourney, led all scorers with 25 points. Stephanie Sack, who was 3 for 3 from beyond the arc and 2 for 2 from the free throw line, finished with 15 points. Erin Skinner scored 9 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Madison Sowards added 8 points, Ali Romano, Brittney Rachuy, and Alicia Mehtlan each scored 2 points. Alicia Mehtlan was second in rebounding with 8. Stephanie Sack and Ali Romano each came up with 3 steals and Erin Skinner led in assists with 3.

12/7

COS TOURNAMENT

SRJC 75 vs. Cerritos 47

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 3-3

In their COS Tournament third round game, the Bear Cubs were pitted against the Cerritos College Falcons, with the loser being eliminated. The Falcons won the tipoff and scored within 28 seconds, but didn't score again until the 16:20 mark. Stephanie Sack's 3-pointer with 16:04 on the clock gave the Bear Cubs an 8-4 lead. After Ali Romano sank her third 3-pointer at the 6:40 mark, her team was ahead 23-10. The Bear Cub defense only allowed the Falcons to score 4 points the rest of the half, while their offense put in 15 more points for a 38-14 halftime lead. Gretchen Harrigan scored the first basket of the second half, but the Falcons quickly answered with their own field goal. Madison Sowards' fifth point of the half after four and a half minutes of play gave the Bear Cubs a 47-18 lead. The Falcons hit two 3-pointers within two minutes, then for the remainder of the game the two teams battled evenly. Madison Sowards hit back-to-back 3-pointers with less than 5 minutes to play, giving her team a 71-42 advantage. The Falcons ended all scoring with a 3-point play with 27 seconds in the game. The Bear Cubs' 75-47 win advances them to the Fifth Place game. The Bear Cubs again shot well, making 44% of their shots (32 out of 72). They only got to the free throw line twice, with Alicia Mehtlan making 3 out of 4 free throws. They outrebounded the Falcons 47-36. Alicia Mehtlan and Stephanie Sack each grabbed 8 rebounds, and Gretchen Harrigan 7. The top three scorers were Harrigan with 18, Sowards with 17, and Erin Skinner with 16. Ali Romano made three 3-pointers for 9 points, and Stephanie Sack made two for 6 points. Alicia Mehtlan added 5 points, and Lorena Garduno and Brittney Rachuy 2 each. Sack led with 5 assists and Skinner with 4 steals. The team passed for a season-high 22 assists.

12/6

COS TOURNAMENT

SRJC 74 vs. COS 76

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 2-3

In the 2nd round game of the College of Sequoias Tournament, the Bear Cubs (2-2) played the host Giants (7-2). The Bear Cubs got off to a good start, making their first 3 field goal attempts in 70 seconds. But the Giants countered with a 3-point play and two 3-pointers for a 9-6 lead after 4 minutes of play. With the Bear Cubs making only 3 out of their next 14 shots, the Giants' lead grew to 32-16 until Erin Skinner sank a field goal at the 7:50 mark. The Bear Cubs then made 50% of their final 10 shots to end the half down 30-46. The Giants scored first in the second half on their first possession. The Bear Cubs were finally able to score on their fifth shot attempt, then they proceeded to make 5 more consecutive field goals to cut their deficit to 47-57 with 13:25 left. But 6 misses out of their next 8 attempts enabled their opponents to build up a 70-54 lead until Madison Sowards broke the ice with a field goal at the 6:58 mark. This was the start of a spirited Bear Cub rally. Three-pointers by Ali Romano and Madison Sowards and free throws by Erin Skinner and Gretchen Harrigan got them to 68-73 with 3:02 on the clock. Alicia Mehtlan scored a minute later, and the Bear Cub defense stopped the Giants. A COS player went to the free throw line at the 1:09 mark to shoot the 1+1. She made the first one, giving her team a 75-70 lead. She missed the second and Ali Romano rebounded. The Bear Cubs pushed the ball and Gretchen Harrigan scored with 46 seconds remaining. The Giants brought the ball upcourt and Erin Skinner came up with a steal. Stephanie Sack passed ahead to Harrigan, who scored with 34 seconds, pulling the Bear Cubs to within one, 74-75. With 20 seconds remaining Harrigan picked up her fourth foul and her opponent went to the line to shoot 1+1. She missed and Ali Romano grabbed the rebound. Harrigan drove to the basket and was unexpectedly called for an offensive foul with 10 seconds left. The Giants inbounded, and the Bear Cubs fouled after 2 seconds putting a COS player on the line for 2 shots. She made the first. The second missed and in the battle for the rebound, the ball went out of bounds, last touched by the home team. Following a Bear Cub timeout, they got the ball into the front court but were unable to get off a shot as the horn sounded, ending their comeback attempt just short, 74-76. The Giants made 9 3-pointers, 4 field goals, and 11 out of 13 free throws in the first half. The Bear Cubs made 12 field goals and 6 out of 12 free throws. In the second half the Bear Cubs' defense only allowed three 3-pointers, and the Giants made just 5 out of 12 free throws. The Bear Cubs countered with 11 field goals and three 3-pointers, but only 13 out of 20 free throws. Gretchen Harrigan scored a season-high 34 points, and Madison Sowards contributed 15. Alicia Mehtlan added 8 points, Erin Skinner 7, and Stephanie Sack and Ali Romano 5 each. Sack led in rebounds with 10, in assists with 7, and in steals with 3. Harrigan was second in rebounding with 8.

12/5

COS TOURNAMENT

SRJC 74 vs. LA Valley 68

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 2-2

The Bear Cubs' opening round foe in the 16-team College of Sequoias North-South Tournament was the Los Angeles Valley College Monarchs. The Monarchs scored the first basket, but Erin Skinner answered for the Bear Cubs 10 seconds later. Then Alisha Mehtlan picked up two quick fouls 10 seconds after that to send her to the bench. During the next 9 minutes more fouls were called than baskets scored. By the midpoint of the half, with the scored tied at 17, the Bear Cubs had been whistled for 10 fouls and the Monarchs 9. Back to back 3-pointers by Madison Sowards and Stephanie Sack and a 3-point play by Gretchen Harrigan helped the Bear Cubs build up a 30-23 lead with 5:39 on the clock. But the Bear Cubs missed their next 5 shots, allowing their opponents to close the gap to 28-30. Erin Skinner scored the Bear Cubs' final basket of the half at the 1:50 mark. The Monarchs closed with two field goals to knot the score at 32 going into halftime. The Monarchs scored first in the second half by hitting a 3-pointer. Gretchen Harrigan, who had been called for 3 first half fouls, scored first for the Bear Cubs 22 seconds later. Then within 12 seconds, she picked up her fourth foul. The Monarchs proceeded to jump out to a 10-point lead, 46-36 by the 14:31 mark. Following a Bear Cub time-out Erin Skinner, Stephanie Sack, and Alicia Mehtlan, who was playing with 3 fouls, sparked a Bear Cub comeback. Alisha Mehtlan's fourth field goal of the half with 4:59 on the clock gave the Bear Cubs a 58-56 lead. Two free throws by Sack and 4 by Harrigan increased the lead to 64-58 with just under 3 minutes to play. Grethen's 8th field goal of the game came at the 1:22 mark and put her team ahead 69-63. Pressure free throws sunk by Sack and Mehtlan and a basket by Skinner held off the Monarchs, who finished the game with a field goal and a 3-pointer, resulting in a 74-68 Bear Cub win. The Bear Cubs, who had made only 4 out of 7 free throws in their 3-point loss in their last game 2 weeks ago, made 21 out of 37 (57%), while the Monarchs made 17 out of 29 (59%), as a total of 55 fouls were called. The Bear Cubs also were more accurate from the field this game, making 25 out of 58 shots (43%). Four Bear Cubs scored in double figures: Gretchen Harrigan with 28, Erin Skinner 14, Stephanie Sack 12, and Madison Sowards 11. Alisha Mehtlan made the most of her limited minutes by scoring 9 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. Gretchen recorded another double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds. Redshirt Freshman Amber Hart, who was seeing her first action after being sidelined for the past 6 weeks recovering from a concussion, was forced into action sooner than anticipated due to foul problems and grabbed her first rebound seconds after entering the game. She finished with 4 rebounds. Ali Romano led in steals with 4 and Stephanie Sack in assists with 5. The Bear Cubs advance in the winner's bracket to face the host COS Giants.

11/23

MERCED TOURNAMENT

SRJC 46 vs. Ohlone 49

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 1-2

In the Consolation bracket finals of the Merced College Tournament, the Bear Cubs were pitted against an athletic and taller opponent in the Ohlone College Renegades. The Renegades sank a 3-pointer on their first possession of the game. Alicia Mehtlan's 3-pointer 20 seconds later tied the game. Madison Sowards scored a field goal 23 seconds later, which was answered by a Renegade 3-pointer. Then the lead see-sawed as both team missed a lot more shots than they made. Four points in a row by Gretchen Harrigan during the twelfth minute of the game put her team in front 21-20. Then the Bear Cubs were outscored 10-0 in the next 6:30. Erin Skinner finally ended the drought at the 2:25 mark and scored the last points of the half 2 minutes later, pulling the Bear Cubs to 25-30 at the half. A field goal and 2 free throws by Gretchen Harrigan and a field goal by Ali Romano cut the deficit to 31-34 six minutes into the second half. Then the Bear Cubs missed their next 9 shots, allowing the Renegades to widen the gap to 9 points. Three consecutive field goals by Erin Skinner, Alicia Mehtlan, and Stephanie Sack made the score 37-40. But the Bear Cubs again went scoreless for the next 4 minutes as the Renegades added 4 points. Stephanie Sack's 3-pointer from 5 feet beyond the arc at the 3:25 mark made the score 42-45. Madison Sowards' field goal nearly 2 minutes later got the Bear Cubs to within a point, 44-45. The Renegades answered with a field goal on their next possession with 1:20 left. The Bear Cubs missed their next attempt and then stopped their opponents. Stephanie Sack found Alicia Mehtlan cutting to the basket and she converted the reverse lay-up with 30.5 seconds remaining. After a timeout, the Renegades made a couple of passes then the Bear Cubs trapped and Madison Sowards tied up the ball. Unfortunately, the possession arrow favored the Renegades. The Ohlone coach called another timeout. The Renegades inbounded the ball and the Bear Cubs were forced to foul. The Renegade free throw shooter missed the front end of the 1+1, and Erin Skinner rebounded. As Stephanie Sack was trying to bring the ball out of the back court, she was fouled. She went to the line with 12 seconds left to shoot the 1+1. Her free throw bounced off the rim and a Renegade post player grabbed the rebound. Gretchen Harrigan immediately fouled her for her fifth foul. The Renegades' player made both free throws, putting her team ahead by 3 with 11 second on the clock. The Ohlone coach called her last timeout. The Bear Cubs pushed the ball up against full court pressure and got a shot off from beyond the arc, but it was off target, resulting in a 46-49 loss. Alicia Mehtlan and Gretchen Harrigan led the team in scoring with 14 and 10, respectively. Stephanie Sack contributed 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Erin Skinner scored 6 points, Ali Romano 5, and Madison Sowards 4. Gretchen Harrigan again had a double-double, as she grabbed 11 rebounds.

11/22

MERCED TOURNAMENT

SRJC 65 vs. Foothill 42

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 1-1

In the second round of the Merced Tournament the Bear Cubs faced the Foothill College Owls with the loser being eliminated. The Bear Cubs started strong, making their first 4 shots and 3 free throws, jumping out to a 12-0 lead after just over 3 minutes of play. The Owls got on the scoreboard with a 3-pointer at the 16:35 mark. When Lorena Garduno hit a 3-pointer with 10:45 on the clock, the Bear Cubs' lead with 21-12. The Bear Cub shooters went cold the rest of the half, making only 2 out of their final 12 shots. Meanwhile the Owls slowly crept closer with 3-pointers. Then in the final minute of the half, they sank three 3-pointers to pull to within 5 at 25-30. The Bear Cubs started the second half by making their first 3 shots. Nine minutes into the half the Bear Cubs' lead had grown to 47-32. Then the Bear Cubs began to successfully push the ball and were able to score on lay-ups and close shots. During the final 11 minutes of the game Gretchen Harrigan scored 10 points and Alicia Mehtlan scored 8 as the Bear Cubs exhibited great teamwork, pulling away to a 65-42 victory. Gretchen Harrigan, who scored 20 of her 25 points in the second half, had the season's first double-double with 12 rebounds. Alicia Mehtlan scored 11 points and Erin Skinner 10. Rounding out the scoring were Madison Sowards with 8, Ali Romano 6, Lorena Garduno 3, and Stephanie Sack 2. Madison Sowards grabbed 12 rebounds and Stephanie Sack 8. Stephanie Sack had 4 assists and Madison Sowards 4 steals. The Bear Cubs had a much better shooting percentage today, making 36% (9 for 25) in the first half and 48% (13 for 27) in the second. They outrebounded the Owls 58-40. The Owls, who had made 7 3-pointers and 4 free throws in the first half, made only 2 3-pointers in the second half, and were held to 17 points.

11/21

MERCED TOURNAMENT

SRJC 40 vs. Merced 56

Conference Record: 0-0

Overall Record: 0-1

The Bear Cubs opened the 2013-2014 season at the Merced College Tournament against the host team. The Blue Devils won the tipoff, but Alicia Mehtlan stole the ball and passed to Gretchen Harrigan for a layup. But the Bear Cubs then went scoreless for the next 3:20 until Gretchen hit one of two free throws. Madison Sowards' 3-pointer at the 15:30 mark tied the score at 6. Madison's field goal with 12:04 on the clock gave her team a 13-11 lead. But the Bear Cubs were only able to sink one out of their final eleven shots of the half. Meanwhile the Blue Devils took advantage and went on a 24-3 run to take a 35-16 lead heading into halftime. Madison Sowards scored the first points of the second half on the Bear Cubs' first possession. The Bear Cubs missed their next 6 shots until Madison scored at the 16:12 mark, making their deficit 20-40. Two 3-pointers by Ali Romano made the score 26-42. The Bear Cubs slowly chipped away at the Blue Devils' lead. After Gretchen Harrigan sank 2 free throws with 8:00 left in the game, the Bear Cubs were behind 34-48. The Bear Cubs again hit a cold spell sinking just 2 out of their final 11 shots, the last basket a Gretchen Harrigan field goal with 5:05 on the clock. But this half their defense was tougher, resulting in a final score of 40-56. The Bear Cubs made only 26% (14 out of 53) of their shots for the game and were outrebounded 30-54. Two Bear Cubs scored in double figures: Gretchen Harrigan with 14 and Madison Sowards with 13. Ali Romano added 8 points, Alicia Mehtlan 3, and Stephanie Sack 2. Gretchen Harrigan led with 8 rebounds and point guard Stephanie Sack grabbed 7. Stephanie also contributed 4 assists and 4 blocks.